"Gabriel," I gasped frantically as I sat up.

Hospital, I thought as I glanced around the room. Everything was white—the sheets that covered my body, the chairs that sat empty beside my bed, the walls that seemed to be closing in on me. I glanced down and released a startled sob-slash-chuckle at the sight of a familiar dark t-shirt I was currently wearing. Then my eyes found the needle stuck in the bend of my right arm. I quickly tugged it out of my skin and threw the sheets off my body before swinging my legs off the bed. My ribs throbbed as I stepped onto the cool tile floor and limped my way over to the door. Before my hand touched the door handle, it swung inward, forcing me to stumble backward to avoid getting struck. I tensed with the sudden instinct to fight, but the instinct faded the moment an arm wrapped around my back and pulled me into a large and familiar chest.

I leaned into Gabriel, my fingers digging into his black t-shirt.

"You should be in bed," he said softly into my ear.

"You weren't here," I replied.

He sighed into my hair, his hand rubbing soft circles into the small of my back.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Regional hospital. Your parents insisted."

I tensed. "Are they here?"

"They're with Tommy right now."

I leaned out of his embrace. "Is he okay?"

Gabriel nodded. His hand cupped my cheek. I leaned into it, kissing his palm. He breathed in my scent, his chest rumbling with a soft growl. "Never put yourself in danger like that again. Please." His voice was stern and I detected a slight undertone of desperation. He put his index finger under my chin and forced me to look him in the eye. "If you do, I will chain you to the bed, and this time, it will be for my pleasure."

I chuckled softly. "I'm sorry I put you through that," I said. "But I'm not sorry that I did it. You're safe now—everyone is safe. Leo is dead."

His hand on my waist tightened. "It was not your responsibility, Phoebe."

"I was tired of sitting around, waiting to hear whether or not Tommy was dead!" I snapped. I closed my eyes and took a breath to collect my frenzied thoughts that were mingled with my mate's own angry images. I leaned my forehead against his shoulder. "I didn't want to lose you. Not when I just found you."

A moment passed and Gabriel released a breath, and with it, his anger. "On the contrary, Phoebe, I found you."

I smiled. "True," I murmured. "But I was afraid what would happen if you decided to face Leo. I offered myself to him because I knew he wouldn't consider me a threat, just another chess piece for his game."

Gabriel growled again. "If you have any future notions of playing hero, please let me know first."

I frowned. "I—"

"Shh," he hushed me, which only flared my anger. "If you won't stop putting yourself in danger for me, will you do it . . . for our child?"

I frowned, my mouth opened to tell him something sarcastic, but then his hand splayed on my stomach, his dark eyes searching mine. My hand covered his and my eyes widened. "W-What . . . I'm . . . I'm—?"

"Pregnant?" he finished for me. His eyes danced with amusement as he saw through the bond the pieces falling into place for me. "Yes, Phoebe."

My knees gave, but he was there, catching me before I collapsed to the floor. He carried me to the bed, holding me against his chest as he sat down. I turned in his lap, straddling his thighs and touching my stomach once more. "I'm p-pregnant," I said slowly. He watched me warily, as if waiting for me to faint so he could catch me.

The month I had been training with Sarah . . . When I skipped my period, I figured it was because I was working out so much and my body was adjusting to its new physique. I had heard from some of the more athletic girls in school that it sometimes happened. The thought that I might have been pregnant was brief and fleeting.

Tears fell from my eyes and I didn't bother to stop them. "I'm pregnant," I said more strongly, letting my smile grow. "Oh my God," I said softly, staring at my mate. "We're going to have a child."

A thought struck me . . . it hit me, hard. My smile dropped and I started talking faster than I usually did. "What if I'm a terrible mom? Oh my God. I can't even keep a plant alive, let alone a human being. I got an F on a summer project for AP environmental science because my basil plant kept dying. I don't even know how to change a diaper. What if—"

I was abruptly cut off from my panicky rambling by Gabriel's lips. I gave into his passion briefly before he pulled away. His forehead touched mine. "You're going to be a wonderful mother," he said with finality.

"But what if—"

"Remember when you doubted yourself because you thought you wouldn't make a good Alpha?" he asked me softly.

I nodded slowly.

"You sacrificed yourself to save your pack—to save all of our packs. That is what makes you a hundred times better than a good Alpha." He took my hands in his. "Never doubt yourself again, Phoebe. You are going to be an amazing mother. I know it."

I touched his cheek, kissed him softly. "I do love you, Gabriel—with everything that I possess."

He smiled, kissing my fingers. "I love you, too, mate."

.

I was tucked into Gabriel's side, my eyes closed, when the door to my hospital room opened. As if automatically, Gabriel growled, but ceased when my father stepped inside. My mate glanced at me, noticed I was awake and gracefully slid out of the bed, repositioning me so I laid on my back, with the pillow propped under my head.

"I'll go find you some food," he said softly.

I smiled tiredly. "Only if I get the first bite."

He gave me an amused small smile and kissed me on the forehead before walking out and closing the door behind him. My father came to sit beside my bed. He took my hand. "You promised me, Phoebe," his voice cracked.

"I know, Dad. I'm so sorry."

"I can't imagine what happened—"

"I'm fine, Dad."

"Phoebe, you're in a hospital. They told me you had internal bleeding and your ribs—"

"I'll heal, Dad. I promise you, I'm fine."

"The last time you promised me, you almost died!" he snapped. His eyes flooded with tears, but he seemed to angry to let them fall.

"I'm here, Dad. I'm right here. It's over. Everything will be okay."

"Don't you ever put your mother through that again," he said sternly. I saw the emotion that he didn't bother to hide in his eyes. Don't put your mother and I through that is what he really meant.

"I'll try not to, Dad," I said softly. "But I need you to understand something. I'm an Alpha now. I can't promise you that I'll always be safe, but I can promise you that I'm surrounded by people who will take care of me, protect me if need be. I'm not you're little girl anymore."

A single tear fell from my father's eye. He patted my hand and sighed. "You'll always be my little girl, Phoebe. Even if you are a queen, you're still my baby girl."

I smiled. "I love you, Dad."

He kissed my forehead. "I love you, too."

"How is Tommy?" I asked after a moment of silence passed between us.

"He's shaken, but he really wants to see you."

"Is he here?"

My father nodded. "Your mother is checking him out of the hospital now."

At that exact moment, the door swung open so quickly, I sat up and nearly pushed my father behind me. However, the small nine-year-old who launched onto the bed with me was not the threat I was expecting. He wrapped his arms around my neck and his legs wrapped around my chest. "Fee."

I hugged my little brother tightly. "Are you hurt, Tommy?"

He shook his head against my shoulder. "Kellan got me out. I told him to go back for you, but he said he couldn't."

"I'm sorry, Tommy."

My brother leaned away from me. "He could have helped you," he said, wiping his wet cheek furiously.

"I know," I said softly, "but it wasn't his fight."

Tommy stared at me for a long while. "Thanks for coming for me, Fee."

I smiled, pulling him into another hug. "I couldn't go on midnight adventures alone, now could I?"

He laughed, like I thought he would. "Can we go on one soon?" he asked eagerly.

I nodded. "Of course."

"Can Kellan and Jason come, too?" he asked excitedly.

I laughed with him this time. "Oh, that would definitely be an adventure. I'll ask them next time I see them, okay?"

My mother slipped into the room, paperwork in one hand and tissues in the other. She beelined toward my bed and embraced me fiercely. I took in her scent, which hadn't changed since I was a child. It was comforting, and it reminded me of home.

"I swear to God, Phoebe, don't you ever do that again."

"Dad already gave me the lecture, Mom," I said gently.

"Good," she said with a sniff. She leaned away from me, cupping my face in her hands. "Do you need anything? I brought some clothes because I didn't know how long they were going to keep you here."

"I'll be fine once I'm back in my own bed."

Another body entered my room. "I'm afraid that won't be tonight," the new voice said. A woman in a white lab coat stood at the end of my bed. "Hi, Phoebe. I'm Dr. O'Neal. How are you feeling? Any pain?"

I shook my head. "I feel fine, actually."

She nodded, a knowing glint in her eye. That's when something struck me—she was a werewolf. She wasn't dominant, but I somehow knew what she was. She glanced at my parents. "If you don't mind, Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael, I need to speak to Phoebe for a moment."

My mom frowned. "I'm here mother—"

"I understand that ma'am. However, Phoebe is eighteen, which means she has the right to speak with her physician without a legal guardian present."

My mother looked ready to argue, but I understood why Dr. O'Neal wanted us alone, so I interfered. "Mom, it's okay. I'll talk to you later."

My mother's eyes flared, but my dad rested his hand on her back and quietly led her out of the room. Tommy hopped off the bed and followed after them. My mother instantly started arguing with Dad the second he closed the door. Dr. O'Neal waited until their footsteps faded before she turned back to me and bowed her head. "Alpha Regina, I apologize for—"

I waved off the apology. "What do you need to tell me?"

"Alpha Rex informed me that you know about your . . . situation."

I frowned. "You mean my pregnancy?"

She nodded. "I just need to go over some facts with you. First off, this pregnancy will not be normal. Werewolf pregnancies are similar to human pregnancies in the manner of time, but the symptoms will be . . . different."

I frowned. "How different?"

"For starters, since you are not a werewolf, you will not be called to the full moon like most werewolves are, however, your fetus will be. You'll need to take some precautions. I've spoken to the pack doctor, so he's aware of the precautions and will explain them as they come up." She sighed, her hands twisting in her lab coat pockets. "If I'm being completely honest, Alpha Rex ordered me to tell you that you need to rest and stay away from danger, like chasing after rogues."

I laughed out of shock at her admission. "I appreciate your honestly, Dr. O'Neal. Thank you for telling me."

She nodded. "If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call me." She handed me her card and moved toward the door. Before opening it, she paused, turning back to face me. "Thank you, Alpha Regina."

I frowned. "For what?"

She smiled softly. "For saving us."

With that, she stepped out of my room, leaving me with my bewildered thoughts.

___

Author's Note:

AHA! BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THE PREGGO BOMBSHELL, NOW DID YA?

Jk, like 80% of you predicted it anyway. [insert the eye-rolling emoji here]

Only a couple more chapters left! Give me some love if you like the story!

xo -Willow